Aircraft sextant mounting



May 4 1965 v B. E. nixsoN 3,181,812

AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8, 1952 39 Sheets-Sheet 1 May4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. s, 1952 39 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. s, 1952' May 4, 1965 B; E. DlxsoN I 3,181,812

vAIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING .'59 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 4 1965 B. E. DlxsoN I 3,181,812

` AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING l Filed Dec. 8. 1952 39 Sheets-Sheet 4 gld z www-fbi s A v irl/Qa j @jaw-a May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8, 1952` 59 Sheets-Sheet 5 eser swfrc//as (d4/vri) @www May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN 3,181,812

AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING FlledDeC S, Sheets-Sheet 6 May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN A 3,181,812

AIRCRAFT sExTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec- 8. 1952 39 sheets-sheet 7 i@ IZ www #l5 Pxrewrlrrany May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING 39 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN 3,181,812

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AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8,11952 39 Sheets-Sheet 10 i? jg #f5 PAM-wr Irfan. y

39 Sheets-Sheet l1 B. E. DlxsoN AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING May 4, 1965 Filed Dec. 8, 195:2,

May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN 3,181,812.

AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8, 1952' 24 39 Sheets-Sheet 12 May 4, 1965 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 59 Sheets-Sheet 13 Aff/LX1 May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN 3,181,812

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AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8, 1952 39 Sheets-Sheet 15 May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN 3,181,812

AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. s, 1952 59 Sheets-Sheet 16 May 4, 1965 AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 8, 1952 B. E. DIXSCN VSEXTANT MOUNTING 39 Sheets-Sheet 17 B. E. DIXSON AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING May 4,

.'59 Sheets-Sheet 18 May `4, 1965 Filed Dec.A a, 1952 39 Sheets-Sheet 19 May 4, 1965 B. E. DlxsoN v 3,181,812

AIRCRAFT SEXTANT MOUNTING Filed Dec. 8, 1952 59 Sheets-Sheet 2O 

1. IN AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL ANGLES OF INCIDENCE OF RAYS FROM A DISTANT SOURCE OF RADIANT ENERGY THAT IMPINGE UPON A PLATFORM WHICH IS HELD IN A HORIZONTAL REFERENCE PLANE CONTAINING A REFERENCE LINE IN SAID PLANE AND SERVES AS A SUFFORT FOR SAID INSTRUMENT, AND WHICH IS, IN TURN, VERTICALLY PIVOTED IN A RIGID ENCLOSURE THAT SURROUNDS SAID PLATFORM AND SAID INSTRUMENT AND IS IMPERVIOUS TO SAID RADIANT ENERGY, A PLANAR CIRCULAR OPENING BEING PROVIDED IN SAID ENCLOSURE ABOVE SAID INSTRUMENT TO ADMIT SAID RADIANT ENERGY THERETHROUGH ALONG A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH, AND SAID ENCLOSURE BEING TILTABLE, IN UNISON WITH THE PIVOTAL SUPPORT OF SAID PLATFORM, THROUGH LIMITED ANGLES AGAINST SAID HORIZONTAL REFERENCE PLANE AND FROM A REFERENCE POSITION IN WHICH THE PLANE OF ORIENTATION OF SAID CIRCULAR OPENING IS PARALLEL TO SAID HORIZONTAL REFERENCE PLANE AND THE AXIS OF SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORT IS VERTICAL WITH RESPECT TO GROUND THE PLATFORM BEING FURTHERMORE ROTATABLE IN IT PIVOTAL SUPPORT THROUGHOUT 360 DEGREES; MEANS OF EXTENDING THE RANGE OF SAID INSTRUMENT TO RAYS ENTERING OVER THE RIM OF SAID CIRCULAR OPENING FROM ANY DIRECTION THROUGHOUT 360 DEGREES AT A SPECIFIED LOW LIMITING ANGLE AGAINST THE PLANE OF ORIENTATION OF SAID OPENING WHEN SAID OPENING AND THE CLEARANCE SPHERE FOR THE OPERATIONAL RADIUS OF SAID INSTRUMENT BELOW SAID OPENING ARE REDUCED TO THE SMALLEST SIZE COMPATIBLE WITH SAID TILT LIMITS AND WITH OTHER CRITERIA INCLUSIVE OF THE LARGEST DESIRABLE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE TO BE MEASURED (I.E., THE SMALLEST DESIRABLE ANGLE AGAINST SAID PLATFORM PLANE WHICH IS REDUCED TO SAID SPECIFIED LOW LIMITING ANGLE AGAINST SAID PLANE OF ORIENTATION OF SAID OPENING IF THE LATTER IS INCLINED THROUGH ITS MAXIMUM TILT ANGLE TOWARDS THE LINE OF DIRECTION OF INCOMING RAYS THAT FORM SAID DESIRABLE SMALLEST ANGLE AGAINST SAID PLATFORM PLANE), COMPRISING A VERTICAL PIV- 